Julia Child is a mystery to me. It would probably be more accurate to say that I have read lots about her - and one of her books too - but to be honest, around me nobody knows about her or mentions her. I first heard about her via one of the blogs I read, I am afraid I cannot remember which one at this stage. I think the reason for all this is that she's not as famous in Europe as she is in the USA - at least, that's my guess.
This is probably also the reason why I decided to watch the "Julie and Julia" movie. Boy, am I happy I finally took the final jump and went for it! The movie is no masterpiece, but it was just perfect for the Christmas mood that permeates me every single year. It is funny, interesting if - like me - you don't know much about Julia and her story, and the ultimade feel-good movie to watch in your kitchen while the babies are asleep ; a rare moment of peace, brilliantly led by a great actress, Meryl Streep. I felt so utterly inspired and exhilarated once I finished watching it, that I was literally ready to redesign the entire kitchen and write a recipe book, even though I cannot say that the Julia character is exactly my cup of tea, and that I still cannot fathom why on earth anyone would want to make all the recipes contained in any book, and what's more, with a deadline of 365 days. Argh. I feel brave enough to admit this given that this is the end of the year and "tomorrow" will be another, well, year.
Every so often in the movie, the characters read aloud excerpts of their correspondence with friends and/or family members. I have enjoyed the witty contents of those letters so much that I have decided that this will be my next step in an attempt at grasping more details of the Julia galaxy: the epistolary exchange between the main character and Avis ranks now high on my list of must-read.
Have you read a book about Julia Child? Have you read the book gathering the letters of Julia and Avis? I'd love to know your thoughts and for now, happy cooking to all of you.
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